Brisbane review - Cirque du Sleigh: Christmas gone wild

By David Wilson

Cirque du Sleigh

Part of Wynnum Fringe Festival 2025

By: Head First Acrobats, Tash York & Trigger Happy

When: November – December 2025 (Wynnum Wonderland season)

Where: Augathella Spiegeltent

Bay Terrace, Wynnum

Bookings: wynnumfringe.com

Tickets start at $50

Cirque du Sleigh is a dazzling, outrageous, absolutely adults-only Christmas spectacular that blends circus, cabaret, comedy and chaos into a fast-paced festive feast that is anything but traditional. This is Christmas gone wild – glittering, provocative and joyously unhinged – served up under the glowing lights of the beautiful Augathella Spiegeltent as part of Wynnum Fringe Festival 2025.

Wynnum Fringe 2025 stands as one of Brisbane’s most exciting and eclectic arts festivals, offering a rich and diverse program of over 100 events across comedy, cabaret, circus, music, theatre, family shows and late-night delights. The festival has cemented its reputation as a bold cultural destination on the Bayside, blending local talent with headline acts and drawing audiences from across the city and beyond. In 2025, the festival’s winter season flows seamlessly into the festive magic of Wynnum Wonderland, where Cirque du Sleigh takes centre stage.

At the heart of the festival is the magnificent Augathella Spiegeltent – a venue that is itself a work of art. Originally a travelling mirror tent built for Queensland’s 150th celebrations, it spent years in regional exile before being lovingly restored and reimagined in Wynnum. Now transformed into an intimate, warm and atmospheric performance space, the Spiegeltent is the perfect home for cabaret and circus. Stepping inside feels like entering another world – one of velvet, mirrors, glowing lights and old-world theatrical glamour

To call Cirque du Sleigh outrageous is something of an understatement. From the moment the audience enters the Spiegeltent, they are swept into an interactive Christmas Wonderland for grown-ups only. This is absolutely not your typical carols-by-candlelight affair. The show is deliciously naughty, gloriously risqué and unapologetically bold, with the audience invited to be part of the chaos, the laughter and the festive mischief. It is not for the faint hearted or easily offended!

The calibre of artistry on display is extraordinary. Incredible burlesque dancers command the stage with confidence and sensuality, acrobats perform with breathtaking strength and precision, knife-throwing leaves hearts racing, and the breakdancing and vocals are nothing short of electric. These are multi-talented professionals, seamlessly blending danger, elegance, humour and sheer showmanship into one exhilarating performance.

Presiding over the madness is the incredibly charismatic and sharp-witted Tash York. Her timing, audience connection and fearless command of the room bind the entire evening together, guiding the audience through this glitter-soaked festive fever dream with charm and delicious irreverence.

Cirque du Sleigh is Christmas reimagined through circus and cabaret: think flips, glitter, festive filth and more naughtiness than Santa’s list can handle. From aerial acrobatics to outrageous comedy, it is fast, funny and gloriously filthy in the very best way. The energy never dips, the surprises keep coming, and the entire cast work together with a cohesion that makes the show feel both tightly crafted and wildly spontaneous.

At approximately two hours including a 20-minute interval, Cirque du Sleigh is a thoroughly entertaining, high-energy, adults-only experience that delivers exactly what it promises – an over-the-top festive spectacle that sleighs the season with high kicks, high heels, high spirits and plenty of surprises under the mistletoe. It is bold, immersive, unexpected and utterly entertaining in its mischief.

Cirque du Sleigh is a perfect example of what Wynnum Fringe does best: combining world-class talent, a stunning venue, and a fearless approach to programming. It is highly recommended for audiences looking for something scandalously festive, thrillingly theatrical and completely unforgettable.

Check out Cirque du Sleigh if you can, as well as some of the other Wynnum Fringe performances including comedian Dave Hughes and some much more family friendly offerings!